Thai-Malaysians ‘get paid to vote’

Thai-Malaysians living in the south of Thailand are reportedly being offered up to 5,000 baht ($170) for ‘travel expenses’ to vote in May 5’s tight election race in Malaysia which has already been tainted by corruption allegations levelled by the opposition, the Bangkok Post wrote.

Dual nationality holders in three southern Thai provinces were being offered up to 500 Malaysian ringgit to cover the cost of the trip, a source from the Thai-Malaysian coordinating committee which jointly oversees border affairs said.

Malaysian monitoring group Coalition for Free and Fair Elections warned on May 4 that ”tens of thousands of alleged voters are being flown and bused to key battleground states and constituencies” by the the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Adnan Mansor, secretary-general of the ruling Barisan, conceded that its allies had organised chartered flights to transport voters to their home states, but denied that they were phantom voters. He said the opposition had also chartered buses to bring voters from Singapore.

Malaysia’s Election Commission requires its nationals living in southern Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Kalimantan, Indonesia, to return home to vote. The commission says they are not entitled to a postal vote.

Thai-Malaysians living in the south of Thailand are reportedly being offered up to 5,000 baht ($170) for ‘travel expenses’ to vote in May 5’s tight election race in Malaysia which has already been tainted by corruption allegations levelled by the opposition, the Bangkok Post wrote.

Dual nationality holders in three southern Thai provinces were being offered up to 500 Malaysian ringgit to cover the cost of the trip, a source from the Thai-Malaysian coordinating committee which jointly oversees border affairs said.

Malaysian monitoring group Coalition for Free and Fair Elections warned on May 4 that ”tens of thousands of alleged voters are being flown and bused to key battleground states and constituencies” by the the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Adnan Mansor, secretary-general of the ruling Barisan, conceded that its allies had organised chartered flights to transport voters to their home states, but denied that they were phantom voters. He said the opposition had also chartered buses to bring voters from Singapore.

Malaysia’s Election Commission requires its nationals living in southern Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Kalimantan, Indonesia, to return home to vote. The commission says they are not entitled to a postal vote.